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tileli eine - team Para: No. 99,490, zaad February 1, 1870.

COMBINED HEDG-E-'TRIMMER AND STALK-CUTTER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, J. G. SPRAGUE, of Lexington', in the county of McLean, and in the State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Hedge-Trimmer and Stalk-Gutters; and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification.

The 'nature of my invention consists in the l:onstructiou and general arrangement of a machine for cutting corn-stalks and trimming hedges.

In order to enable others skilled in Vthe art to which my invention apperteins, to make and use the same, I will now proceed todescribe its construction and op eration, referring to the annexed drawings, in which.-

Figure l is a plan view, and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of my machine.

A A represent thewheels, mounted upon the ends ofthe axle B, from the front side of which two beams, C C, project forward, said beams being bent slightly inward, as shown in iig. 1, so as to connect at their front ends.

On top of thebeams C C, immediately in front of the axle B, is a cross-beam, D, from which rise standards E, supporting another beam, G, running parallel with the cross-beam D, and provided on its upper side witha seat, F, for the driver.

The axle B, beams C, and standards E are connected by means of curved bracesH, as seen in fl g. 2.

At the point where the beams O C are ljoined together, a standard, I, passes through them, which standard is at its lower end provided with a small wheel, .It on which thus the front end of the machine rests..

On the upper end of the standardY I, is a socket, a, in which is-inserted the governor K, which should be turned, so that its outer rim l) will he within reach of the driverV fro'm his seat F, enabling him to operate the' same with the hand, or with the foot, whichever may be deemed most advantageous.

.At the front end of the beams C is a bent rod, d,

forming a loup or ring at its front end, said ring being secured to the tongue Il.

The tongue Lis split orforked at the rear end, embracing the front ends of the beams G, and inserted in sockets c e, one on each side of said beams.4

The rod d lies on the upper side of the tongue, a spring-bar, t', from the tongue, projecting throughV the loop or ring, and this loop or ring secured by a staple, f.

In front of the drivel-s seat F, on the beams G G,

.are standards M M, secured to the beams by means of keys g y, in such a manner that-they can be readily removed.

Between the standards M M, the treadle Nis pivoted, said treadle being at a suitable height to be operated by the drivers foot At the front-end of the treadle N, on each side, is

lpivoted a bar, O, which passes downward through slot in the beam C, and is at, its lower end pivoted to Va curved or bent bar, P. 'This bar I is slotted at its a shaft, It, having a polygonal-shaped enlargement, S,`

at each end.

From each side of the enlargements S S cxtendsan arm, k, and to the arms lt k are secured the knives' m fm, running parallel with the shaft R, and braced by braces n n., said knives being of sufficient length` to cut two rows, instead of one row, as is usually the case.

To the bent bars I P are attached arms o o, which extend in front of the cutter, to guide or bring the stalks in contact with the knives.

It will readily be seen that with a machine thus constructed, corn-stalks will easily be cut off, and the Vdriver can, by means of the treadle N, raise or lower the cutter at will. i

When it 4is desired to use the machine as a hedge-i trimmer, the following changes are made:

The standards M M, with 'the treadle N, and the cutter, are removed, which' is readily done by taking out the keys g g and screws lt h, also the bolts that pivot the bars 0 O to the treadle. The tongueL and governor'K are also removed.

On the left hand of the seat-supporting bar G are fixed suitable journal-bearings, for supporting the knife T, when it is desired to trim the sides of the hedge. The knife-handle is at a suitable pointprovided with journals fr r, for insertion'n the journal-beariugs mentioned,'the knife itself extending in front, andthe handle in rear of said bar G. i

At the lower end ofthe left standard E is a bar, inclined downward and toward the rear, and braced by a brace, V, which at its outer lowerend forms a hook, to which a cord, 11,-is secured. This cord passes upward around a pulley,in lthe end ot' the knife-handle, and then downward again, around a pulley in the rear end of the beam U, then forward .through a loop, s, on the inside of the front ends of the beams/O C. rIhe knife is to b e operated by a man at the front end of the machine, pulling on the end of the rope p, assisted by anothenman atthe rear end, who takes hold of Vthe knife-handle, whenever he can reach it. At suit-I able points on the beams G G are standards IV, connected by a bant, having arms c c, as seen in iig. 1.

Qn the top of thestandard W, on the right side, is placed a bar, X, which is attached to the right standard E, and at lits outer'or forward end, is pivoted the handle of a fork, y. The branches, 85o., out off by the knife T, fall down on the fork, or rather rake y, and

are easily thrown off ou 'one side.

When it is desired to trim the top of the hedge, the

knife T is placed with one of its journals in a bar, fw,

on top of the bar G, and the rope p is secured to the right end of said"bar G, then around the pnlleyin the end of the knife-handle, then through a pulley, near the right end ofthe har G, and then through the loop s, as before.

When used as a hedge-trimmer, the machine is propelled by the man in the' front, by means of a staif or lever, Z, with point, which said staff passes through the ring d, the ground being employed las a flilerlnn to the lever or staff.

The knife T, standards W W, and bar X, are readily removed, so as to attach the parts whichfornrthe stalk-cutter.

Having thus fully described my invention,

WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The arrangement of the shaft R, arms k k, knives m m, braces n fn, bars P P, with guides o o, arms O O, and treadle N, all constructed as described, so as to be readily removed from the carriage, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The arangement of the tongue L, bnr t, staple f, boxes e e, and rod rl, all as shown and described.

, 3. In combination with the cross-bar G, the knife T, when both are so arranged with journals and jonrnal-boxes, or their eqnvalentsfthat the knife can be operated both laterally and perpendioularly, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

4. The combination and arrangement of the standards W W, bar t, arms @1f/v, bar x, and fork y, substantially as and i'or the purposes herein set forth.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand, this 15th day of September, 1869.

' J. G. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses:

IIsAAo S. MAHAN, NOAH F. MONAUGHT. 

